Free The French Aristocrat's Baby by Christina Hollis

my generosity. You’ll have anything and everything you want, too. You can have expense accounts at all the stores you like. I could treat you to a nice little love nest in Paris, par exemple. We can live together there whenever I’m in the city. What is your heart’s desire? Name it and it’s yours. There’s no limit.’
    Gwen was aghast. ‘Well, there’s certainly no limit to your nerve! Is there nothing you won’t try? Unless it’s the idea of making an honest woman of me, as they call it back home.’
    He laughed. ‘Marriage, you mean? No, I’m afraid that will never be on offer. And there’s no need to look so shocked! You’ve found my Achilles’ heel, so the least I can do is to be honest with you. I was nearly caught in that honey trap once before, chérie. No woman is going to hold me hostage like that again. You can haveabsolutely anything you like, except my signature on a marriage certificate.’ He chuckled. ‘Apart from that one small detail, my generosity knows no limit. Try me. Name your price.’
    Reaching for a napkin, Gwen wiped her hands and dropped it onto the table in a symbolic gesture.
    ‘It’s nothing you could buy, no matter how much money you’ve got, monsieur. I want my independence, and the chance to make my own way in the world. I don’t want to go through life being carried by anyone else.’
    Taking a step back, she took one last look at the temptation of him. It was almost impossible to make a stand, he made her body quiver just looking at her, but her principles were at stake. She had to harden her heart.
    ‘I escaped from one gilded cage. I’m not going to let myself be tempted into another. Au revoir, monsieur. ’
    In a swirl of midnight-blue velvet, she was gone.
    Etienne never normally wasted time on breakfast. As far as he was concerned, it was something to restore his energy levels after a late night and before an early meeting. That was all. This morning there was a different reason most of his food went untouched. He moved to pour himself a second cup of coffee as Gwen stalked away through his suite. When the door slammed shut behind her, he turned his attention to the beautiful array of food laid out on the table. He didn’t normally linger over his selection, but today he had some time to fill. It wouldn’t be polite to start eating before Gwen returned. She would come fluttering back to him at any minutein a flurry of tears and apologies. Etienne was quite confident about that. It was what women did.
    He had a long wait. When he finally saw Gwen again, she was down in the courtyard. He caught sight of her briefly, storming away from his house with her beautiful dress billowing. She didn’t give him a backward glance. Marching down the drive, she disappeared from his sight.
    Etienne lowered his eyebrows in silent disapproval. Miss Gwyneth Williams really was one of a kind. This made her the first woman to abandon him of her own accord. He was always the one who made the decision to leave. He made the first move. Always. This was not going to plan. Gwen hadn’t even looked back so that he could give her a casual wave, dismissing her from his life for ever. She didn’t give me the satisfaction , he thought irritably, but his indignation was short-lived. Gwen Williams had satisfied him in quite another way. It was one that would live far longer in his memory. Her mind was her own, but her body must surely be his. He had seen it, and taken her, exactly as he had possessed so many other lovely things that caught his eye.
    She couldn’t be allowed to snatch it away.
    Etienne took his breakfast over to the dining table and sat down in solitary splendour to consider this. As always, the financial press lay beside his place. He usually read it from cover to cover. Today, for the first time in two years, it remained untouched. Instead, he worked his way through far more pastry, crêpes and fruit than he would normally eat.
    It was an attempt to distract himself from